It Had To Be You
by Sunshine1313
Summary: This is the story of Harry Potter's son, Sirius. What happens when Sirius falls in love with the enemy? Will it be a lasting love? Or a terrible tragedy? This story follows Sirius throughout his years at Hogwarts. Sequel to Harry Potter and the Soul Guide
1. Sirius's Beginning

**First Year**

**Just The Beginning**

"_I hold in my hand," he began. "The wand of Voldemort, which has killed so many helpless people to this date." He held it up high enough so everyone in the hall could see it. "It will never hurt anyone again," he said, and threw it in the fire that was behind him._

That was the day Harry Potter's nightmare ended. The day his whole life changed. It was the day he destroyed Voldemort and brought about the end of the second wizard war. That day seemed so long ago now, as he waited for his wife and children to come down the stairs, pleased that their world was now free of the evil that he had known for so long.

"You guys, hurry up or we're going to miss the train!" he called up the stairs of their summer home at Number 12 Grimmauld Place in London. He didn't like the idea of moving into the home that had haunted him since he was fifteen, but was convinced when his wife became pregnant and they could no longer live with her mum and dad through the summer holidays.

Now the house was barely recognizable. Sirius's mum's portrait was no longer hanging in the entrance hall, and the house was no longer dark and gloomy. The whole Order of the Phoenix had helped clean the house from it's hateful memories, and now it was a home that his wife and two children loved to visit over the summer.

"We'll be down in a moment, Harry," the red head replied from upstairs, and Harry sighed.

"I know what a minute is to you, Ginny," he laughed, and watched as his wife walked out of the bathroom to the top of the stairs to stick out her tongue. He stuck out his tongue in return, making Ginny laugh.

"Oh, real mature, Harry," she said with a roll of her eyes. "What a fine example to set for your children. Honestly, act a little more like a father."

"Ha, ha," he said in a sarcastic tone. "But really, Gin, we have to go. We're going to be late, and then Sirius won't be able to catch the train."

"I'm ready, Dad!" a boy exclaimed, jumping down the stairs two at a time in his excitement. His black hair was sticking up all over, just like his father's, and his brown eyes were sparkling, just like his mother's. "Can we leave soon?"

"As soon as your mother and sister come down," Harry replied, catching his son at the last step. "So, is my star looking forward to his first year at Hogwarts?"

"Dad, you know I am," Sirius muttered, freeing himself from his father's grasp. "I can't wait to turn a rat yellow! Uncle Fred and Uncle George taught me the coolest spell—"

"Sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow," Harry interrupted lazily. "It doesn't work, son. Your Uncle Ron tried it in his first year… and all it did was shoot out a white spark. Don't listen to anything your crazy uncles tell you, alright?"

"But…," Sirius murmured, obviously a bit disappointed. "I was going to try that one out on the train. Now what am I going to try?"

"Try Windgardium Leviosa," he replied, watching his son's eyes spark again. "It makes things fly. Here, watch me." And with a flick of his wand Sirius's trunk came flying down the stairs, almost knocking over the young redhead. His daughter looked almost exactly like the woman whom she was named after, what with her eyes an almond shaped emerald green, and her hair a bright red.

"DADDY!" Lily yelled, getting caught by her mother, who threw a glare toward her husband.

"Aww, I'm sorry my flower," he replied, catching his beautiful baby girl in his arms as well. "I was just showing your brother a cool spell that I learned in my first year--"

"With the help of Aunt Hermione, I'm sure," Ginny laughed, walking down the stairs at last. "You and Ron were hopeless. Poor Hermione, I'm surprised she did so well in school what with her doing your work all the time!"

"Hey, if I was so hopeless then how come I passed my seventh year," he replied. "Hermione wasn't there to help me then, now was she, Dear?"

"Why wasn't Aunt Hermione with you, Dad?" Sirius asked, curiosity boiling in his young brain. "I thought you all were in the same year?"

"We were, but I… got… held back a year," Harry answered. "I actually graduated with your mother, who was a year after me."

"Why?" Lily asked.

"Never you mind," Ginny broke in, "it's not important. Now come on, your father's right, if we don't hurry we will miss the train."

They never told Sirius or Lily about Voldemort or the horrible things he did while he was in power. They didn't want them to know about Harry's terrible past, in fear that it might change the way they looked at their father.

"If we do, then we can just travel by flying car, right Dad?" Sirius exclaimed, looking up at his father.

"Yeah, hey, Gin, can't we just--"

"No we can't!" Ginny bellowed. "You got into a lot of trouble for that! And you missed my sorting, didn't you, Dear?"

"Yes, Love," Harry replied, kissing his wife on the cheek. But as she walked out the front door Harry turned to his two kids and whispered, "It was rather fun, though."

"HARRY!"

"Coming, Ginny," he called, Lily and Sirius both laughing behind him. Harry spent the next ten minutes loading their trunks into the car. He couldn't wait to get back to his home at Hogwarts.

Ever since the end of his seventh year he'd lived at Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. When he and Ginny got married she moved in with him, as did their children. So Sirius had already spent half his life at the school, as did Lily. But they loved it, and Harry loved it, too. It was his home, and had been since he was eleven years old.

"Sirius," he whispered to his son as Ginny and Lily loaded the final trunk into the back. "Can I speak with you for a second?"

"Yeah," Sirius said, wiping the sweat from his brow. Together, the two walked back over the house, where Harry pulled out a small package and handed it to Sirius. "What's this?"

"This is… well, I should say these are… gifts," Harry replied. "I got them when I was at Hogwarts, and I thought that they should be handed down to you… and your sister, when she comes to Hogwarts. But don't open the package yet. I don't want your mother to know I gave them to you. One's… well, one is something that was given to me by Albus Dumbledore when I was in my first year. It was my father's, and he wanted me to have it. So Dumbledore passed it on to me."

"Why couldn't—?"

"Not important," Harry interrupted. "But it was my father's. Take good care of it, okay?" He watched as Sirius's head nodded, and then continued. "The other is a map, which also belonged to my father. It'll look like a piece of parchment when you first look at it, but when you hold your wand against it and say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' the parchment will transform into a map."

Sirius gawked at him, then whispered, "You're giving me… a map?"

"Yes," Harry smiled. "A map of Hogwarts and all the people in it. But remember that no on, besides your sister, can see it. So, after you're finished using it, point your wand against it and say the words 'Mischief Managed'. It'll clean itself of all its contents."

"Thanks, Dad," Sirius whispered, stunned, and gave his father a hug.

"One more thing," Harry added, pulling away for a moment. "Never let me see you using them. I don't want to have to confiscate them, alright?"

Sirius nodded and laughed as his dad winked at him. Harry patted Sirius on the back and watched as he hopped into the car along with his little sister.

It only took a few minutes for them to reach Kings Cross Station, and when they did Harry gave Sirius some money for sweets off the trolley and told him to share with his cousins. Sirius agreed and ran off to the train, while the rest of his family turned and went back home, where they would floo back to the castle.

It only took him a few minutes to find his older cousins, who were all sharing a compartment near the end of the train. He joined them, and kept his promise with his dad by buying them all sweets off the trolley.

"Anything off the trolley, Dears?" the woman with the trolley asked the little family. Instantly, Sirius got up and bought them all Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, and many other sugary snacks.

It was when Sirius handed the woman the money that his eyes fell on the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her white blonde hair was sleek and touched the middle of her back with no problems. She had a pretty, pointed face with dark eyes that held a small spark. Her smile that she gave the woman with the trolley lit up the whole train, and his stomach did a little flip as her hand reached forward to grab a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans.

Her eyes fell on him a moment after his fell on hers, and the smile she was giving disappeared in a heartbeat. He didn't know why, but she seemed to be glaring at him, as if she hated him for some bizarre reason. At the sight of his smile she turned away in a huff and slammed her compartment door shut. He didn't have a clue why she disliked him, but at the moment he didn't care. All he cared about was getting to know her and that wonderful smile.


	2. Syringa's Beginning

**Syringa's Beginning**

"Goodbye, Mother… Father," Archimedes whispered, bowing slightly to both his mum and dad. He looked very much like his mother, with her dark hair and pug like face. But he had the eyes of his father and grandfather: gray. "I'll see you at Christmas."

"See you at Christmas," Pansy Malfoy replied, stepping up and giving her son a hug, receiving nothing in return. "And please, Archimedes, take good care of your sister. It is her first year after all, and I don't want her getting into trouble."

"Of course, Mother," Archimedes nodded, and then turned to his father. "And I won't let her mind stray off of… her destiny. Don't worry."

"Good," Draco murmured, looking sideways to make sure no one was watching. "Her mind cannot stray for a moment, or else all hope is lost."

Archimedes nodded his head in response, then turned to his sister. "Syringa, are you ready?" Then, in seeing her hard face, asked, "What are you looking at?"

Her white blonde hair was billowing in the soft breeze as she turned her black eyes away from the black haired boy hugging his mother, father, and sister, to her older brother. She was very pretty, and seemed very mature for an eleven year old, even though her eyes held that spark that can only be described as young, innocent, and adventurous.

"Nothing, Archimedes," she replied, shifting some of her long blonde hair out her eyes. "I was just looking over at that black haired boy over there." And with her finger she pointed to the boy, who was now boarding the train.

Archimedes smiled softly and said, "You are definitely a Malfoy, Syringa." He then walked over to his sister and added, "That's Harry Potter, his wife, Ginny, and his two children… Sirius and Lily. They are the ones, Syringa."

"That's enough!" Draco bellowed, catching the attention of many bystanders. "You two need to get on the train! Go!"

But Syringa jumped into her father's arms and said, "I'll miss you so much, Dad! And you, too, Mum! See you at Christmas!"

Draco was a bit surprised by this sudden show of affection, but hugged his little daughter in return, trying and failing to hold back a smile. "I'll miss you too, Syria," he replied, using her nickname. "And I will definitely see you on Christmas."

"Bye, Mum," Syringa whispered, hugging and kissing her mother goodbye. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Syria," Pansy replied, holding back a few tears. "You behave yourself, and listen to everything your brother tells you."

"Alright!" Archimedes grumbled, pulling his little sister away from their mother. "The train will leave us behind if we don't hurry. Don't worry, you guys, I'll take good care of her. I promise."

And with those last words both Syringa and Archimedes rushed onto the departing train. Syringa had never been so excited, yet sad, in her entire life. She was going to miss her mum and dad, but was looking forward to beginning her years at Hogwarts and taking the first steps to fulfilling her destiny. But still, she was very nervous about what she had to do.

Five minutes into the train ride her brother pulled her into the compartment in which their luggage was being held. He plopped down like it was nothing on the seat nearest to the window and let his head fall back, running his hands through his black hair. Syringa sat down quietly in her seat and gazed out the window, thinking wistfully of her destiny.

"Are you nervous?" Archimedes asked about half an hour later, causing the little girl to jump at the sound of his voice.

"Well… all the first years are, right?" she replied. "I mean, what if I don't get into Slytherin? And what if I fail all my classes? Or… or what if--"

"I meant are you nervous about your destiny?" he asked, a note of irritation in his voice. "We have a big task ahead of us, Syria. Are you sure you're cut out for it?"

"Of course I am," she gasped. "I want that blasted Harry Potter dead just like you do. He's done too much damage to the purification of blood. He needs to be stopped!"

"But are you nervous?" he asked, his eyes on her as if he was staring straight through her.

"Er… I guess… I am a little nervous," she whispered, looking down at her feet. "I mean… Harry Potter killed the greatest wizard of all time. How are we supposed to kill him? We're just… kids. What if we fail?"

"We won't," Archimedes replied, shifting his gaze from her at last and looking out the window. "Harry Potter is getting old, and he is not as powerful as he once was. In a few good years, when you are ready, we will strike, and then… and then, my dear sister, the tables will finally turn."

Syringa sighed and said, "I guess you're right. And I guess I shouldn't worry yet, right? I mean, the fight won't be until I'm ready, so I don't have to think about it just yet."

"That's where you're wrong, Syria," Archimedes snapped, causing his little sister to jump again. "You need to think about it all the time. Your mind cannot drift, or else… the plan, whatever it is, will not work. Don't forget… you're still a big part of the shifting of power. Your mind must not wander. Trust me, in a few years we will be more powerful than that of the evil Dark Lord Voldemort."

"I know," she whispered, and banged her head up against the compartment seat. She sat there for a few minutes, then stood up and walked over to the sliding glass door. "I'll be right back. I'm pretty hungry, and I'm going to see if I can find the lunch trolley."

"Alright, Syria," Archimedes replied, not taking his eyes away from the window. "But don't be gone too long. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Okay," she smiled, and walked out the sliding glass door, shutting it behind her. As much as she was looking forward to bringing her family back into the limelight, she didn't like to think about it very much. There were times when… she had to get away from it all.

Finally, the lunch trolley came into view, and she grabbed a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans to share with her brother. She paid the woman with a smile, but when she felt eyes on her she lifted her head to see… that black haired boy staring at her; that blasted Potter boy.

'_Oh, what was his name again?"_ she thought as her smile faltered and she threw a glare his way.

She was furious when his mouth twisted into a kind smile, causing her body to fill with this strange and unknown feeling. Angrily, she turned around and walked away in a huff.

'_How dare he smile at me!'_ she thought, her whole body flooding with that strange and unknown feeling that she assumed was hatred. _'Doesn't he know who I am?'_

Her hands slid open the compartment door and she tossed a box of beans to her brother, who accepted them without a thank you and continued to read the book that he had just bought from Flourish and Blotts: 'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Lord'. He was very fascinated by the whole topic, and she knew how much he wanted to have more power than that of Voldemort himself.

A few hours passed by in complete silence. Syringa was beginning to fall asleep when her brother slammed his book shut and told her that it was time for them to change into their school robes. Syringa obeyed her brother's wishes and slipped her robes over her muggle clothes, just as her brother did.

They had just finished getting their robes on when the train stopped and students started to hurry out to the dark warmth of the outside. Syringa rushed outside along with all the other first years, but froze when she saw that Potter boy again.

He was running over to a half-breed giant with bushy brown hair and beard, and a pureblooded giant wearing a torn pair of pants and jacket. The half-breed gave the boy a hug and began talking to him excitedly, then gestured him to get in the first boat.

Syringa walked over to the boats as well and got on one of the last ones. It was about fifteen minutes later, when all the first years were on the boat, that the half-breed giant's boat began moving, followed by all the other little boats. The lake on which they were traveling was as dark as the moonless sky above them, and Syringa could have sworn that she saw a tentacle rise out of the water for a few seconds.

"Jus' round the bend!" the half-breed called to the following boats, and sure enough, when they turned around the bend, Syringa gasped in shock to see a castle lit with over a thousand little lights that brightened the creepy darkness.

"Welcome," the half-breed giant called, "to Hogwarts!"


	3. Sirius's Sorting

**Sirius's Sorting**

"Firs' years, over here," called the booming voice of Hagrid, the half-giant from near the lake. "This way, firs' years!"

Sirius smiled widely and ran to the humongous man that he'd known since the day he was born. "Hagrid!" he called, waving as he ran and jumping into Hagrid's open arms. "Hagrid, I'm a first year! Isn't it great?" He then turned to the purebred giant and gave him a hug as well. "And how have you been, Grawpy?"

"Grawpy here has been doin' great," Hagrid replied, embracing the young son of his dear friend. "How has your summer been? Hope yeh've been studying your spell books."

"I've been reading them since I got them!" Sirius exclaimed. "And my dad taught me a wonderful spell that makes things fly!"

Hagrid chuckled and said, "Yeah, I 'member that one. Used it against a troll in his firs' year, I believe. With the help of your Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, o' course." He watched as the boys eyes widened in shock and disbelief, then laughed. "Have yer dad tell ya about it later. But righ' now ya gotta get on the boat. Here, hop into mine. Tha's it, there ya go," he muttered as Sirius got into the first boat.

The half-giant continued to call over the first years and point them to boats, and when all the first years were in boats they were off. It was pitch black outside, and when Sirius looked over he saw the giant squid lift up a tentacle and wave at all them. He excitedly waved back, and watched as it slowly ducked its tentacle back into the black lake.

"Jus' round the bed!" Hagrid called to the bunch of first years behind him. And sure enough, as soon as they were around the bend, every single student was gasping at the beauty of the huge castle that lay before them. It had thousands of lit lights sparkling up all the windows so they looked like a thousand tiny suns. The light emanating from the ancient building brought light to the whole surrounding area.

Sirius gasped at this magical sight, and when the boats stopped he excitedly rushed into the castle. They entered the entrance hall some five minutes later and were greeted by Harry, or as Sirius had to call him from that point on, Professor Potter.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor Potter nodded, smiling a handsome smile. "I think I'll take it from here." Hagrid looked down in Sirius's direction and winked, and Sirius winked back happily, then turned to look up at his father.

"Welcome, first years!" Professor Potter exclaimed. "It's great to see all your faces at last. But before we begin the joy of being at Hogwarts, let me explain a little about it for those who don't know. Hogwarts is, obviously, an ancient magical school used to teach magical learning. The school is separated into four houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. You will be sorted into one of those houses shortly, and while you are at Hogwarts your house will be like your family. Points will be awarded to good deeds and clever brains, and will be taken away with any rule breaking. The house with the most house points at the end of the year will be awarded the House Cup, a wonderful honor. Now, I'm going back inside to make sure things are ready, and when they are I will come back for you." Then, with a nod of the head, he turned and left them all alone in the entrance hall.

Silent whisperings could be heard echoing around the hall as all the students discussed the different characteristics of each house and expressing their hopes of getting sorted into their chosen house. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a girl screamed, causing Sirius to jump and look around.

A hundred or so ghosts were floating into the hall and toward the first years. Their bodies were see through and pearly white, hurting the eyes of any student who had been out in the dark for too long. An average sized ghost with many ruffles around his neck came soaring over to Sirius with a small smile.

"Well, hello there, Sirius," Nearly Headless Nick smiled as he came to stop in front of the eleven year old boy. Because Sirius had lived at the castle since he was born, the arrival of the Hogwarts ghosts did not scare him one bit, but excited him even more. "I trust you've had a good summer, yes?"

"Brilliant," he replied, grinning at the ghost in return. Nearly Headless Nick was his favorite ghost at Hogwarts, mainly because he had a very interesting history and loved to talk to him randomly in the halls. "And you?"

"Terrible… the Headless Hunt refused to let me join again this year," he replied, bowing his head slightly and frowning. "But oh well, there's always next year. So, are you excited?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Very," Sirius replied joyfully. "I can't wait to get in there! My cousins are all excited, too. Truthfully, I think the whole Order of the Phoenix is excited."

"As they should be," Nick said as if it were obvious. "You are the first Potter to enter the school since your father, and they're all expecting great things from you. When does young Lily start?"

"Oh, Lils starts in two years," he answered. "She's very disappointed she couldn't start this year, but… she's only nine. And besides, it's not like she doesn't live here already, right?"

"I'll have to drop in and say hello to her," Nick said. "She is always worth popping in on, what with her stories and jokes. Such a lively youth."

But just then, Professor Potter came back into the hall with a scroll of parchment in one hand and a stool in the other. "We're ready for you now. Follow me." He turned to enter the hall again, but stopped when he saw Nick and waved. The pearly white ghost waved back happily, said his goodbye to Sirius, and entered the Great Hall himself. Professor Potter then continued his journey into the hall.

The hall was amazing as usual, with its hundred or so candles suspended in the air and lit like golden jewels. Students were crammed into the four house tables, excitedly awaiting the new arrivals.

Professor Potter continued his way down the middle of the hall until he reached the front of the staff table. Sirius smiled at the sight of Headmistress McGonagall and all the other professors as Professor Potter sat the stool down on the floor and placed an old hat on top of it.

"This is the Hogwarts Sorting Hat," Professor Potter announced. "When I call your name, you will step forward and place the hat atop your head. It will call out the name of a house, and that is the house in which you will stay during all your years at Hogwarts. But first, I do believe the hat has a special song for all you first years."

And sure enough the brim of the hat smiled at all the new students and began to sing its usual beginning of the year song.

Sirius never paid much attention to it. He always found the songs boring, and so while everyone else listened to what the song said he turned his attention to his cousins. They were watching him apprehensively, no doubt hoping that he would be sorted into Gryffindor. He felt his stomach lurch at the thought of himself wearing anything but scarlet and gold colors, and felt sick at the thought that he could be wearing green and silver in their stead.

The hats song was over in a matter of minutes, but Sirius continued to look around the castle as his father called out list of names one by one. His mother was sitting up at the staff table, along with his little sister. They saw him watching them, and his mother gave him a smile and a thumbs up, while his sister waved enthusiastically.

Chuckling to himself, he waved back, causing his little sister to jump up and down. He looked up and saw his father steal a glance towards his mother and sister, then look down at him and smile softly.

That's when a thought crossed his mind, and he quickly looked around the group of first years, which had diminished into just about ten more students. His heart sunk as he saw that the girl he had seen on the train had already been sorted, but the thought was quickly erased from his mind as his father called out, "Potter, Sirius."

The whole hall seemed to have fallen silent at the sound of the name. Sirius didn't have a clue why, but he felt that everyone was a bit quieter then they were with all the other students, and more eyes seemed to be on him now than ever before.

He walked up to the stool and walked right passed his father, who whispered a, "Good luck," into his ear before he sat down and placed the old hat upon his head. The moment the hat touched his head he heard another voice… a scratchier voice, speak into his hear.

"Ahh…," it muttered. "I was beginning to worry if I'd ever see another Potter again. They are always particularly difficult to place. Your father would've done well in every house. But seeing as you have the history for it, I'll place you in GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius jumped off the stool and onto the floor beneath him as the whole school roared with excitement. He looked up and saw his mother smiling and wiping tears of joy from her eyes, and returned the thumbs up she'd given him a few minutes before. A hand came down and ruffled his hair, and he turned around to find his father smiling down at him and winking.

Sirius winked back and ran down to the Gryffindor table to get tackled by his two cousins Eric and Kathleen… and all their friends who had known the boy since before he could remember. The sorting then continued until the final name was called. Then, once all the first years were sitting down, Headmistress McGonagall stood up and began her speech.

"Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts!" she announced across the hall. "But before we begin the Start of Term Feast let me please give out a few start of term notices. The Forbidden Forest is, hence the name, forbidden to all students who do not want to find themselves in a load of trouble. Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you all that certain items, such as all items from the joke shop Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, are forbidden. For a full list of these items please see Mr. Filch. Now, I do believe that's it. Professor Potter, I believe you had a few words you wanted to say?"

"Yes, thank you, Professor McGonagall," Professor Potter replied and stood up to face the whole hall, which had fallen deathly silent. Sirius knew that his father was a great man, and had done many things in his lifetime to gain much respect from the wizarding world, but what he did he wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that it must've been great. "I have a few words to say before the feast begins. And here they are: Nitwit, Blubber, Oddement, Tweak."

The staff table laughed, and so did all the older students. But Sirius didn't quite understand the joke. As he was pondering it, Professor McGonagall stood up again and said, "Thank you, Professor Potter. Now please everyone, dig in."

Sirius looked down to find the table filled with plates of scrumptious looking foods. Everything from chicken to pork, from pudding to mashed potatoes. Filling his plate with everything on the table, Sirius began eating and chatting with his cousins and their friends. Desert was wonderful as well, and Sirius was excited to find that his favorite food, Treacle Tart, was sitting on the table just waiting for him to grab a plate full.

When all the students were stuffed to the brim of food, Professor McGonagall stood up again and told all the first years to follow their house Prefects to their houses, and wished them all a goodnight.

Sirius followed his cousin Eric all the way to the Gryffindor common room, where he gave them all the password (Mimblewimble), and led them all to their dormitories.

That night, as Sirius lay in bed, his thoughts went to that girl that he saw on the train, and again he wondered who exactly she was. His dreams were filled her glaring face, and it wasn't until he fell off the top of the Astronomy Tower that he awoke with a start. His first day of classes was just beginning.


	4. Professor Potter's First Lesson

**Professor Potter's First Lesson**

"Hey, Sirius!" Eric called, catching his little cousin's attention. Eric looked very much like his father, with red hair and freckles that covered his face. He was tall for even a fifteen year old, but quite skinny. "What's your first class of the day? Do you have Uncle Harry today?"

Sirius scanned over his schedule and smiled as his eyes hit the words 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' second period. "Yes, I do have him today. He's my second period class. Are they good classes?"

"Of course," Kathleen replied, stepping up from behind her brother and grabbing herself a plate of eggs and bacon. She, unlike her brother, had bushy brown hair, and was almost the spitting image of her mother, except for the freckles that covered her face as well. "Professor Potter's classes are always brilliant! He knows what he's talking about. He says that when he was in school he started a group called the 'DA', which taught Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Why was it called the DA?" Sirius asked, curiosity evident in his voice. "Dad never told me about a group called the DA."

"Probably because--," Eric began, but was interrupted by Kathleen, who smacked her brother on the arm and gave him a look that clearly said, 'Shut up'.

"What?" Sirius asked. "Probably because what?"

"Don't worry about it, Sirius," Kathleen replied. "It's not important. Eric doesn't know what he's talking about. Now hurry up and eat, you don't want to be late for…," she stole a glance at his schedule, then added, "Professor Sprout."

And so Sirius grabbed a plate full of breakfast and ate it hurriedly, bolting out to the greenhouses for his first Herbology lesson. As usual, the class was taught by a short, stout woman. Her hair was messy and had flecks of dirt all over.

"Good morning, first years," the woman bellowed out for the class to hear. "And welcome to Herbology, greenhouse three! Now, today we will just be going over the rules and the tools for this class."

The class seemed to draw on forever, and when the bell finally rang Sirius threw his books into his bag and rushed back up to the castle to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, where he found his father straightening up a few books in the corner.

His hair was as messy as usual and he wore those same round wire rimmed spectacles that he'd come to know very well. And then there was that curious scar on this forehead. Every time Sirius asked how he got that scar, Harry would reply that it's not important, and change the subject.

"Good morning, Professor," Sirius called, causing his father to jump, pull out his wand, and knock a bunch of books over. Sirius laughed and ran over to help his dad pick up all the books that he'd just dropped. "Sorry… I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's quite alright, Sirius," Harry replied, wiping his brow. He set down the final book and sat down on his desk in the front of the classroom. "So how's your first day of lessons been?"

"All I've had is Herbology," Sirius answered. "And… I have to say… it's so BORING! Eric and Kathleen said that your class is much more exciting. Are they right?"

"Well, I think so," Harry replied. "But Defense Against the Dark Arts is always a fun class. It was fun when I was in school, too. It was harder though, because I had seven different professors."

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"Well, why is not important?" Harry sighed. "You'd better sit down and get ready. No need for books today. I can almost guarantee you that we won't be using them for other than homework. Just get your wand out."

"Yes, Fa — I mean, yes, Professor," Sirius had to correct himself, for two other first year students were walking into the classroom. He did as he was told and pulled his wand from his pocket. This was the lesson he was most looking forward to, and he couldn't wait to begin.

Once all the students were settled down and in their seats Harry stood up in front of the class and said, "Welcome, first years, to Defense Against the Dark Arts! I am Professor Potter. It's great seeing you all, finally. Now, like most of your classes, today will just be a discussion class. But I would like everyone to take out their wands, please."

Everyone did as they were told and pulled out their wands. Harry smiled at how well they obeyed him and pulled out his wand as well.

"Now everyone hold your wand up," he ordered, and again, everyone followed his order. "This will be your most important tool here in this class, along with your brains. So please, whatever you do, don't ever forget them." The class laughed at his words.

"This class," Harry continued, "is to teach you how to defend yourselves once you graduate from Hogwarts and enter the real world. So, in my opinion, it's the most important class here at Hogwarts, because it teaches you how to watch out for yourself. In the five to seven years that you'll be taking this class you will learn many things. In your first year you'll learn all about different ways to help keep you safe, such as blocking unfriendly spells and keeping unfriendly spells from hitting their target.

"In your second year you'll learn all about hitting your own target, just incase a time may come when you need to… hurt someone," his eyes glazed over as he spoke those last couple words, but he continued none the less.

"In your third year you'll learn all about protecting yourself from dangerous magical creatures such as dementors or hinkypunks.

"In your fourth year you'll learn all about dueling," he continued. "Now this is a very popular year for my students, because they love the competitions held throughout the year.

"In your fifth year you'll learn Defensive Magical Theory, and this year is a big year for books," he stopped at the sound of groans all over the classroom. "I make it fun, don't worry," he added, and the class got a little bit more cheerful.

"In your sixth year, if you decide to continue Defense Against the Dark Arts, then you will be learning nonverbal spells. This is a very difficult year for many students, and some never do figure out how to cast a spell nonverbally. But don't worry, I do my very best to make sure you understand it.

"And then, in your seventh and final year, we'll review for your N.E.W.T.'s, the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests," a girl in the back of the class laughed, and Harry smiled. "As funny as the name is, these tests are not to be taken lightly. They will decide your future, and I strongly suggest that when the time comes, you study hard for them. Now do any of you have any questions?"

The class was silent for a few moments, when Harry finally added, "Any questions about the class? Or even questions about me?"

Finally, a hand raised in middle of the room, and Harry looked down at his roll sheet. "Yes, Mr. Longbottom?"

"My father says he knows you," the boy replied. "And he says that, when you were in school, you were… brilliant! He says that you got through a whole bunch of obstacles that were put in place to guard something in your first year, and killed the man who was trying to steal that something."

"Er… well, that's…," Harry didn't know quite what to say. His son was sitting down right in front of him, and he didn't know anything about Harry's past. "That is… true. But it wasn't the highlight of my life, so--"

But just then another hand shot up in the air and asked, "Is it true that you fought a basilisk in your second year to save a first year?"

"Er… yes, but--"

"And fought off a hundred dementors in your third year to try and save your godfather from a horrible fate?"

"Yes, but--"

"And you fought a dragon, merpeople, acromantulas, and even a sphinx in your fourth year?"

"That's true, but I--"

"And I hear that in your fifth year you fought against a bunch of dark wizards with no help at all?"

Harry's hand gave an involuntary twitch as he thought of his godfather falling through the veil, and about how Voldemort tried to possess him… about the prophecy. All he did this time was nod his head.

"And you chased off a bunch of dark wizards in your sixth year?"

"Class, can we please…," but it was no use, for the hands kept raising.

"Were you really the 'Chosen One'?"

"Were your mum and dad really murdered when you were a year old?"

"Did the curse that was meant to kill you really bounce off and leave you with a scar?"

"It has to be true, look there's the scar!"

"Professor, is it true that you killed the evil Dark Lord Voldemort?"

"STOP!" Harry bellowed as he saw Sirius looking at him with a look of pure disbelief on his face. "All these things that have happened… they are all true. I was a marked man at the age of one, but I'm not anymore. These are hard topics to discuss for me. That's the dark side of Defense Against the Dark Arts; some people won't make it. I can name so many… so many lives that were lost. So many good people… they fought for the cause of peace, and didn't live to see it. It's so hard for me to discuss, because yes, I was in the thick of it all. I was a loyal member of the Order of the Phoenix at the age of seventeen, and still am to this day. I did bring down the Dark Lord, and yes I was the 'Chosen One'. My mum and dad were murdered when I was a year old, and I didn't know I was a wizard until I was eleven."

Everybody was watching him with amazement and awe. But Harry didn't think anything about his horrible past was amazing.

"Listen, all of you," he began. "I can see on the looks of your faces that you think I'm amazing because of all the things that I've done. But… a lot of the things I did… they aren't things I'm proud of, and aren't times I like to relive. I lost a lot of people, and hurt a lot of people. You all think it's so cool, but it's not. It's not cool to have your life in someone else's hands. It's not cool to think you're going to die at any moment, or watch your loved ones die around you. That's why this class is so important. Because it teaches you how to defend yourselves. To keep yourselves from suffering at the hands of another. This is why you need put your hearts and souls into this class. Because it could be your future."

At the end of his speech he saw a hand raise in front of him, and looked down quickly to see Sirius looking as pale as a ghost.

"Yes, Sirius," he asked, his own face going pale as well. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to… to… to go to see the nurse," he replied. "I'm not feeling very good."

"Very well, you may go," he whispered, and watched his son run out of the room, expecting him to run down the hall to his mother and ask her why they never told him anything. He knew that later he would have to have a talk with his son, and he was dreading every minute of it.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Sirius bellowed at his father later that night. "I've been asking you for years about your past, and you never told me anything! Why?"

"Sirius," Ginny replied. "We're so sorry. But… we were trying to protect you—"

"From what?" he asked, his nostrils flaring with anger. "It's over, isn't it? So why were trying to protect me?"

"We didn't want you to know because we were afraid it might hurt you," Ginny replied, looking over at her husband, who had his head in his hands.

"Why would it hurt me to know the truth about my father?" he bellowed again.

"Sirius--"

"Sirius, I was scared," Harry cried, lifting his head up at last. "I killed a man… well, a monster. I put so many people in prison, and made so many people angry. I was scared that you might… you might think… less of me if you knew the truth. I already have a lot of people who hate me for what I've done, but I didn't want you to. I'm so sorry."

Sirius was silent for a few minutes, then looked over at his sister's room and said, "Are you going to tell Lily? Or are you going to do what you did to me and keep it a secret?"

Ginny sighed and said, "I think we should tell Lily, Harry. What if she finds out some other way? She's getting older now, and I do think she should know the truth about her father."

Harry ran two hands through his hair and replied, "You're right, Ginny. We should tell Lily. But you don't hate me, do you Sirius?"

"Of course I don't hate you," he replied. "I'm mad that you didn't tell me the truth, but I don't hate you. I think the things you did were… brave. You saved the wizarding world, and I could never hate you for that."

Harry smiled at his son and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so glad you understand. But do you think Lily will? She is, after all, only nine years old."

"Give her a chance," Sirius responded. "I know she'll understand."

And so Sirius sat there and waited for his mother to bring Lily into the room. It was then that they told the two kids the whole story about the things their father did when he was younger. The gasped at some points, laughed at others, and started to cry as well.

"So now you know," Harry replied. "Now you know my story. And I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Will you ever forgive me?"

"Of course, Daddy!" Lily replied and jumped into her father's arms. He kissed her softly on the forehead, and waited for Sirius to give his nod of approval.

"I forgave you the moment I found out," Sirius answered, and he too was given a loving embrace by his father.

A few minutes later Sirius walked out of his father's living quarters and into the almost empty halls. His brain was filled with thoughts of his father's heroic adventures, and it wasn't until he saw a head of white blonde hair that he looked up. It was that girl.

"Hey!" he called, and saw the girl turn her head, roll her eyes, and turned the corner. "No, please wait! I… I just want to talk to you." But by the time he turned the corner she was gone. Angrily, he walked to his dormitory, vaguely hearing the noise his cousin Eric playing with an exploding Bomb Bird, and slammed his door behind him.

He didn't understand why that girl hated him so much, but swore that he would get her to like him if it was the last thing he ever did. Again, he dreamed of that girl, only this time she was running up a flight of stairs, her eyes wild and tears streaming from them.

He awoke again drenched in a cold sweat, not quite ready to face his second day of school just yet.


	5. Friendly with the Enemy

**Friendly with the Enemy**

Sirius continued to catch glimpses of the pretty blonde girl for the rest of the year, but never managed to talk to her in person. That is, until about mid March.

He had a big Potions exam that he had to study for, and he knew that as much as Professor Slughorn liked him, he wouldn't give him a passing mark if he didn't study. So, with much regret, he headed down to the library to study his notes. But the moment he walked into the library he gasped in shock.

There she was, sitting alone at a table in the corner, studying. He smiled slyly to himself and walked over to her table, hoping to catch a word with her.

"Excuse me?" he asked, pulling out a chair as he spoke. "May I sit down?"

She didn't say anything, but waved her hand in response. He took that as a yes and sat down in the chair, pulling out his book as he did so.

There was silence for about five minutes. Sirius had his face hidden behind the Potions book, but snuck glances at her anyways. She didn't look up once, so he took the initiative.

"What are you studying for?" he asked, still hidden behind the book.

"Potions," she replied simply, refusing to take her eyes away from the book.

"Really?" he asked. "Well, so am I. You're a first year, right? So why don't we study together? You know, I can ask you questions, and you can ask me questions, and so on. What do you say?"

"Well," she responded, looking up at last to see his face hidden behind the book. "Alright; I guess we can study together. So, do you want to ask the first question, or should I?"

"I'll ask the first question," he replied, and asked, "What object can be used to cure almost any poison?"

"A bezoar," she stated, and laughed. "Come on, you can do better than that. Here, what do asphodel and wormwood create?"

"The Draught of Living Death," he answered, smiling behind the book. "Is that all you can do? Rubbish! I bet I can get you!"

"SHHH!" came a voice from very near them, and both kids laughed silently. "This is a library, not a playground!"

"We're sorry, Madam Pince," the girl spoke, trying to hide a smile. "We'll try and be a bit quieter, we promise."

"You'd better," she growled, then turned away and went back to her desk. After one last glare at the two kids, she continued enchanting books back to their shelves.

"Crazy old bat," Sirius muttered. "My father's been saying it for years. She was like that when he was in school, too. He seems to think that she has a thing for Mr. Filch."

At those words the girl laughed. "That is funny! Brilliant!" She giggled for a few seconds, then looked back at Sirius, who was still hidden behind the book, and sighed. "We really should get back to studying, though."

"Yeah, you're right," he replied, and together the two went through all their notes, answering questions that the other would ask. An hour went by, and the two were getting along great. Sirius hadn't removed the book from his face, mainly because he was afraid of what would happen if he did. But, when the blonde girl closed her book and slid it back into her book bag, his identity was revealed for him.

"YOU!" a voice growled, and grabbed Sirius by the collar of his shirt. Sirius instantly dropped the book to the floor and gasped at the sight of the fifth year standing before him. His black hair was standing up in the back like a dog's would at the sight of a complete stranger. His nostrils were flaring and gray eyes were contorted into a glare. "What are you doing talking to my SISTER?!"

Sirius was too scared to say anything, so he just stood there (or hung there, as the older student had him pinned up against the wall, his feet dangling), hardly daring to breath. Never, not once in his life, had he seen someone so infuriated, and it frightened him beyond reason.

The fifth year banged his head up against the wall, causing stars to pop up in his line of sight. "You didn't answer my question," the fifth year whispered right into Sirius's face, so that he could feel his hot, putrid breath beating against his face.

"We were… we were just studying," he murmured, throwing a pleading look towards the blonde girl. But she, too, was looking at him with a look of hatred and anger. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to talk to her."

"That's right," the teenaged boy replied. "You aren't allowed to speak to her, you filthy mudblood lover. You and your family are… wizarding trash."

"HEY!" came another voice from behind the scary dark haired boy. Suddenly, the angry boy's hands lifted from Sirius's shirt collar, and he fell to the floor. "What are you doing to my cousin, Malfoy?"

It was Eric. He had come in just the nick of time. His eyes were contorted in rage at the boy whom he had just called Malfoy, and his ears were so red they could have matched his hair.

"Weasley!" Malfoy growled. "How's your mudblood mother doing? Is she still refusing to let the House-Elves clean her filthy robes, or has she finally given in?"

Eric snapped. He raised his fist into the air and, with all his strength, slammed it into the face of the Malfoy boy. The boy stumbled backwards, but only for a second, then he lunged at Eric.

"Sirius, get out of here!" another voice called, and when he turned around he saw his father running into the library, ready to break the fight. Sirius didn't need telling twice, and fled from the library, leaving his father to solve the problem.

"What were you doing?" Archimedes yelled at his sister a few hours later. The fight lasted only a minute longer after Professor Potter broke it up, and both teenagers had received detention for their actions. Archimedes didn't care about the punishment, but was infuriated at the fact that Potter got away. "Answer me, Syria!"

Syringa's face, which had been in her hands, looked up to see her brother's bloody and bruised face glaring at her, rage evident in his gray eyes. "I'm… I'm sorry. He had his face covered. I didn't think it was him. We were studying, and he was funny and kind, and…."

"Syringa, listen to yourself!" he bellowed, causing his sister to jump in shock. "You're telling me that you had FUN studying with Potter! It's not about fun, Syria! It's about revenge. Harry Potter ruined everything! Our family's reputation, the downfall of the Dark Lord, the imprisonment of nearly all the Death Eaters… all his fault! And you were being friendly to his son?!"

"I — I'm sorry," she cried. "I didn't know it was him. He had his face covered behind the book, and I couldn't see."

Archimedes plopped himself down in the chair. After a minute of silence he said, "Well, from now on you are not allowed to speak to anyone unless I give you the approval. I will be with you almost everywhere you go, and there will not be another mistake! Do you understand me?"

She hung her head and whispered, "Yes."

"Good!" he bellowed. "There will be no more… being friendly with the enemy! You will ally yourself with fellow Slytherins. Understand?"

"Yes…," she replied sadly. Her life would never be the same again. And she couldn't shake off that feeling… the feeling she got when she was with the Potter boy.

'_What was his name again?' _she thought. _'Sirius?"_

And, in a weird way, she was a bit disappointed that the boy she had been studying with… was a boy that she'd been taught to hate.


	6. The Note

**The Note**

It took a few days, but finally Sirius felt it was safe to go to the library again. So, since his end of year exams were coming up, he packed his books up and headed down for some study time.

He walked cautiously into the library and sat down quietly in the corner. About ten minutes later, however, his quiet time was disturbed by the sound of the Malfoy boy's voice. He knew he shouldn't, but he was so amazed by the girl that he had to see if she was with him.

So, very quietly, he pulled two books out of their shelf and looked through the hole to see the Malfoy boy and… his sister. Sirius smiled as his eyes fell on her bored expression. She was beautiful, even with her long blonde hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. She seemed to be in her own world as her brother explained something to her.

And that's when the idea came to him. He hurried over to his table, pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, and wrote a little note. When the last word was written down he folded the note and walked out over to the hole in the shelf again.

There she was again, staring off into space as her brother continued to speak. He had to find a way to get her attention without her brother seeing. So, when his back was turned, Sirius crumpled up a piece of parchment and threw it at her head. She jumped and looked over in his direction.

He smiled and waved as her eyes met his and twisted into a glare that sent chills up his spine. Silently, he was praying she didn't tell her brother about him, and was glad when she didn't. He pulled the note from his pocket, showed it to her, and slipped it into a book. She looked at him in confusion, and he pointed to the book and softly pushed it into her direction.

'_What does he want?'_ Syringa thought as her eyes fell on the Potter boy and she threw a glare in his direction. _'He hasn't learned his lesson?'_

But her anger quickly transformed into curiosity as she watched him slip a piece of parchment into a book and slide it slightly in her direction. She stood up and walked over to the book he had just put the parchment in, and grabbed it from the shelf. Her eyes fell on her brother, who was still too busy talking to notice anything she did.

So she brought the book back to her table and opened it to find the folded up piece of parchment waiting for her. Cautiously, she picked it up and opened it to find a little note for her to read and respond to.

'_Hello! I'm Sirius! I'm really sorry about the other day. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I just wanted to ask you a few questions (besides from the Potions book). Maybe the only way I can do that is through this letter. But… I was just curious… what's your name? And why do you seem to hate me so much? Every time I see you you're mad at me… and we've never even talked! I just wanted to write to you really fast and ask you those few questions. Sorry if I cause more trouble._

_Sincerely,_

_Sirius Potter'_

Her eyes drifted from the note to the hole in the shelf to see if he was watching her read it. He had, apparently, sat back down, but she was determined to respond. So she pulled out a quill and hastily wrote a reply.

Once her reply was finished she folded up the parchment again and placed it back into the book. Her brother was still oblivious, and she liked it better that way. Slowly she walked over to the bookshelf and pushed the book back into its place.

Sirius heard the book slide back into the shelf, and quickly walked over to read her reply, if she even wrote one. His fears were erased, however, when he saw a new message scribbled onto the message he had given her minutes ago.

'_My name is Syringa, and don't write to me anymore! You're a Potter, and I'm a Malfoy. We could never be friends, so don't even try._

_-Syringa Malfoy'_

His smile swiftly turned into a frown as her words hit him like a slap in the face. They couldn't be friends because of her family? That's what it sounded like to him, and he hated it.

Now that his mind was officially too stunned to study, he threw his books back into his bag and walked back upstairs to his dormitory. He was only eleven, and his heart had already been torn in two. It made him… angry.

He slammed the dormitory door shut and fell onto his bed. Just as his head hit the pillow he heard a knock on the door, then saw someone open it.

"Sirius?"

"Eric?" Sirius replied, sitting up in his bed. His cousin looked awful, with a big cut down his left cheek and a black right eye. Yet, he seemed to be the hero of the tower. All the Gryffindors were constantly asking him to tell them the story about how he beat up the Malfoy boy. And Eric decided to not let this opportunity pass up.

"Sirius, are you okay?" Eric asked, sitting down on his cousin's bed. "You seemed angry when you got back to the tower. Did Archimedes bother you again?"

"Archimedes?" Sirius asked.

"Oh… Archimedes Malfoy," Eric specified himself. "You did go down to the library, right? Did Malfoy start something again?"

"No," Sirius replied simply. "But… why do the Malfoy's hate us?" His mind drifted on the note and Syringa's reply. "And why do you hate the Malfoy's?"

"Oh, Sirius," Eric sighed. "It all started many years ago; back when Voldemort was still in power. You see… Voldemort had a bunch of followers, also known as Death Eaters. Well, the Death Eaters' main goal was to try and purge the world of all muggleborns. Most of them were purebloods, and one of the biggest Death Eater families was the Malfoys.

"Lucius Malfoy, Archimedes's grandfather, was right in Voldemort's inner circle, and he taught his son, Draco, all he knew about the Dark Arts. Well, when Lucius was sent to Azkaban, Draco took his place. Not too long after that, however, Uncle Harry, your father, defeated Voldemort. Not only did he defeat Voldemort, but he also sent a ton of Death Eaters to Azkaban.

"Draco Malfoy was lucky. He was not one of the Death Eaters that were identified, and still lives free. But his life changed a lot. He lost everything his father had worked for. Well, he married a woman named Pansy Parkinson, and they have two kids: Archimedes and… I think his sister's name is Syringa. The Malfoys furious with the whole Order of the Phoenix, because if it hadn't been for them they would still have everything they'd worked for. And they especially hate the Weasleys and Potters, because we're the ones who were most effective in Voldemort's downfall.

"Your dad hated Draco Malfoy in school, and Draco certainly hated Uncle Harry. So that's basically why the Malfoys and the Potters don't get along. They call us muggleborn lovers, and we are. We don't have a problem with muggleborns. But they seem to think that we're trash because of our beliefs. So we don't get along."

"What would happen if," Sirius began, "if one of us were friends with a member of their family; would we be… shunned or something?"

"I don't know," Eric replied. "I guess it would depend on the member of their family. But you don't need to worry, Sirius. None of them will ever decide to be friends with one of us. They hate our beliefs, our friends, and our blood. So don't worry about getting shunned, okay? They won't talk to you, trust me."

With those last words, Eric got up and walked out of the room, leaving Sirius alone and full of thoughts.

"Yeah, I know they don't want to be friends with us," Sirius said out loud to the empty room. "But… I wanna be friends with… her."


	7. Potions with the Slytherins

**Second Year**

**Potions with the Slytherins**

"Sirius!" called a first year girl from the Gryffindor breakfast table. She looked just like her mother, with bushy brown hair and eyes to match. But, unlike her mother, her face was covered in freckles, a gift from her father.

"Hi, Harriet," Sirius replied, rushing over to his youngest cousin. "Looking forward to your first day of lessons?"

"Yes, very much!" she exclaimed. "And my first lesson is Defense Against the Dark Arts with Uncle Harry! Are his lessons fun, or…?"

"Very fun!" Kathleen answered for Sirius. "He's the best professor here, Harriet. Everyone loves his lessons. But it is probably the most serious lesson at Hogwarts, so you'd best pay attention. Defense is definitely something you want to get high marks in. As Professor Potter says, Defense is our future."

"You are too much like your mother, Kat," said a voice out of nowhere. It was Harry, or as they had to call him, Professor Potter. "Memorizing every word a professor says. She was quite good at that when she was in school. Got me out of a lot of sticky situations, she did."

"That's what she says," Kathleen replied. "She says that she used to 'help you' with your homework all the time. True or not true, Professor Potter?"

"Very true," Harry laughed, then turned to look at his son. "What's your first lesson today, Sirius? Do you have my lesson today?"

"No," Sirius frowned, looking down at his schedule. "I have Potions with the Slytherins this morning. Great, just what I need. Well, at least Professor Slughorn likes me enough to keep them off my back."

"Yeah, unlike Professor Binns," Kathleen added. "Remember your last lesson with him? The Slytherins--"

"Yeah, thanks, Kat," Sirius shuddered. "But I really don't want to think about what they did last year. My toenail will never be the same."

"Yes it will," Harry laughed. "I learned that spell when I was in my sixth year. If you're still having problems with it, go see the nurse. She'll help you out." He paused for a minute to look around at all the students, then said, "Well, I've gotta get going. My first lesson is coming up, and I do believe it's with the first year Gryffindors. See you in a few, Harriet!"

"Bye, Professor!" Harriet waved, then turned her attention to her breakfast. The three family members sat around the table talking for awhile. Eric was over at the Ravenclaw table talking to his girlfriend, but he joined them a few minutes later.

"Well," Sirius sighed, putting his fork down and getting up from the table. "I'd better get going. Slughorn will be disappointed if I'm late."

"Good luck, Sirius!" Kathleen waved, and watched as her little cousin walked out of the Great Hall. "Hope the Slytherins aren't too rough on him," she whispered to Eric as she too got up to head to class.

"Mr. Potter, you're late," Slughorn sighed as the dungeon door burst open five minutes after class started.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Sirius panted, leaning on the wall. "Peeves kept me. He dumped ink all over me, and I had to go up and change robes. But I have a note from Professor Potter excusing my lateness." He handed Professor Slughorn the note, and while he surveyed it, took a seat.

Sirius was so aggravated that he ran a hand through his sticky, unruly, black hair, wiping it out of his eyes. When the rest of the class was in full view he saw all the Slytherins glaring at him. It took him a few seconds to figure out why. His eyes drifted over to the girl sitting right next to him… the blonde girl.

Syringa Malfoy was holding her head up to the sky, her eyes closed in frustration. The two second years hadn't communicated since their notes before their first end of year exams, but Sirius had thought about her a lot. Her face haunted his dreams almost every night, but he was deathly afraid of what would happen if the two did become friends. Would he be ignored by his family? Or would they both be in danger?

He wasn't afraid of the Slytherins hunting him, but he was afraid they would hurt her. That was the last thing he wanted to happen, and he was sure that the feeling was mutual.

"Well," Professor Slughorn began. "Now that Mr. Potter has joined us, let me say… welcome back to Hogwarts!"

The Potions Master continued to go on about what they'd be learning throughout the year, while Sirius's mind drifted to the upcoming quidditch tryouts. He wanted so badly to be seeker like his dad that it drove him nuts, and he would never be happy until he tried out.

Finally, after what felt like days, Professor Slughorn finished his speech and wrote down a bunch of instructions for their first potion of the year.

Sirius pulled out his notebook and began copying down directions when a small slip of parchment came his way. He was a bit surprised at first, and had to wait until he reached down in his bag for his Potions book to open it.

When he unfolded the note he found a short message scrawled in familiar handwriting across the parchment. It was so short that it only said one word, but it was definitely enough to send chills up his spine.

'_Mistake.'_

He looked up from the message into the faces of the Slytherins. They were all smiling sickening smiles in his direction, clearly looking forward to the end of the lesson.

Sirius gulped and turned back to his notebook full of instructions.

"I've no problem killing, Potter," Archimedes sneered some five hours later as the two ran into each other on their way to dinner. "And killing you would just make my life perfect."

Sirius was pinned up against the wall by his shirt collar again, only this time it was by a friend of Archimedes with stringy blonde hair, black eyes, and hard look. The Malfoy boy himself was looking at him with pure hatred, wand at the ready.

"Why? Because our fathers hate each other?" Sirius growled. "Or because you think I have a few galleons in my pocket? After all, your family is pretty much… worthless?"

"SECT--!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Sirius bellowed, grabbing hold of his wand. However, he was surprised to find that his voice wasn't the only one shouting the disarming spell. As Archimedes flew backwards and hit the wall, his friend flew back too, causing Sirius to fall to the floor.

"Mr. Malfoy…," Professor Potter stated, walking over to his son and helping him up off the floor. "And Mr. Nott, I see."

Sirius looked around to see his mother with her wand held at the ready and smiled. It was her who had disarmed the Nott boy.

"Attacking a younger student," Harry shook his head. "And two against one. Well, I think a month worth of detentions are in order. But, since I am a little biased, I'll take the matter to your head of house. I'm sure, though, that Professor Slughorn won't disagree with me."

Sirius watched as Archimedes threw a look of utter contempt toward his father, before turning around, grabbing Nott by the back of the neck, and storming away.

"Oh, Sirius!" Ginny cried, running over to her son. "Are you alright? What happened? Do you need the hospital wing?"

"Mum, I'm fine," Sirius sighed. "It was just… just a silly disagreement, that's all. I sat by his sister, and he hates me. So he tried to get even with me on my way to dinner."

"You are hurt!" Ginny gasped as her eyes fell on a small cut just above his left elbow.

"Yes, well," Harry muttered. "He would've been more hurt had Archimedes said the whole spell. I used it once in my sixth year… and almost killed his father with it. Very dark magic, that is. He must've learned it from his father."

"But you said it was dark magic?" Sirius muttered, looking at his father suspiciously. "Why would you use dark magic for? I thought you worked for the Order of the Phoenix?"

"I did," Harry replied. "But that spell was written in my Potions book, so I used it. I didn't know what it was, or that it was even dark magic. Had I known, I never would've even thought to use it. It was awful, too. I almost killed Draco."

"Wish you would've," Sirius whispered bitterly.

"No, Sirius," Harry gasped. "That would've been horrible. As much as I hated Draco, I didn't want him dead." He sighed, then added, "And I don't suggest getting anywhere near the Malfoys. Nothing good can come from them."

"Yes, Father," Sirius replied, trying and succeeding to hide the pain in his voice.

"Archimedes?" Syringa called about half an hour later.

"That BLASTED Potter gave me detention!" he growled, plopping himself down on the couch. "And all because I was protecting my sister!"

"From what?" Syringa asked. "Archimedes, Potter didn't say one word to me all day. Is it really that bad, him sitting by me?"

"Syria!" Archimedes yelled, causing his sister to jump. "If he continues to bother you then he'll figure out our plans. Then he'll tell his bloody father, and our family will be ruined forever!"

"Yes, but--"

"Do not lose sight of the plan!" he bellowed, jumping to his feet. His eyes were full of rage and he looked slightly mad.

"I know," Syringa sighed, and never spoke another word about it. But there were times when she wished that there wasn't a plan. Times when she wished… when she wished her brother wasn't there to protect her.


	8. Quidditch Tryouts

**Quidditch Tryouts**

"Alright," called Susan Wood, a fifth year, tall blonde haired girl, who held the captain position for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Her position on the team was keeper, and some say she was the best keeper Hogwarts had ever seen. However, when Sirius mentioned this to his father Harry laughed.

"Woods daughter, I take it," he replied, thinking back on his first captain at Hogwarts. "Oliver Wood was captain in my first year, and he was crazy. I fell off my broom in my third year during a big game, and the only one who didn't meet up with me in the hospital wing was Wood."

"Why?" Sirius asked. "I mean, shouldn't he have been worried about whether or not you were okay? Was he mad at you?"

"No," Harry smiled. "Your Uncles Fred and George told me he was trying to drown himself in the showers."

At those words, Sirius laughed, slightly worried about what would happen if he made the team. Would Susan be crazy like her father?

"It's time for the Seeker Tryouts," Susan bellowed out for the crowd to hear. "Sirius, get up here! Show us all what you can do!"

"Yes, Captain," Sirius replied, a little bit nervous. He had practiced a lot, and hoped he was ready. The cool October breeze was biting his face as he got on his broom, ready for whatever she was going to throw at him.

"Alright, Sirius!" Susan called from down below. "I'm going to throw out 10 Golden Snitches, and you're going to have one minute to see how many you can catch! You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" he called back, making Susan smile. And so, without a second thought, she let ten tiny golden balls out into the air, and started the timer.

Sirius bit his bottom lip, squinted his eyes, and took off after the balls. It was an amazing feeling, flying. Somehow it took his mind off everything around him, and cleared it just enough for him to find the snitches.

'_There' _he thought to himself as the first of the ten golden balls came into his line of sight. He held onto his broom tighter, screaming for it to go faster, until he was just centimeters away from it. When his fingers clamped around it he heard the crowd below him scream and shout, and heard Susan yell out the word, "ONE!"

But just as those words escaped her mouth he saw another one. Again, he sped off in that direction, until the ball was safely in his fingers.

"TWO!" Susan called, but he was already flying in another direction. But just below the one he was speeding towards he saw another one, and knew that if he kept going he would lose it.

So he did something that shocked everyone at the tryouts. He stood up on his two legs and balanced himself on his broom stick, holding out his hand to reach the ball. And then, without worrying about what would happen, he jumped off it, fifty feet in the air.

The crowd below him gasped as he caught the third ball, then fell to the ground below. But just as the sound of the audience caught his ears he caught the one that was just below the third ball.

It was a mixture of cheering and screaming as Sirius fell through the air to the ground below. But, right when he reached thirty feet off the ground he pulled out his wand and bellowed, "ACCIO BROOMSTICK!"

His broomstick came flying in his direction; he caught it, and sat safely back on it, ready for more searching. The crowd below him cheered, and Sirius smiled as a fifth ball came into his sight. He caught it with ease and continued to speed off towards another one.

The sixth one was just below him, and so he turned his broom over so that he was hanging on it upside down, and caught it. And just as he was about to turn right side up again the seventh one caught his eye. It was just a foot away from him. So he swung his upside down body in that direction and caught it easily.

"TWENTY SECONDS!" Susan called from the ground below. But Sirius was too busy speeding off toward an eighth one to hear her. He caught it quickly, and sped off toward a ninth one, hovering over by one of the goal posts.

Right after he caught that one he saw the tenth and final one over by Susan's left ear. Quickly, he sped off in that direction.

"FIVE SECONDS!" Susan called, but again he didn't hear her. He was too busy holding out his hand, ready to catch the final ball.

"Times up!" Susan yelled, as Sirius landed on the ground. "Okay, so… you caught nine balls, right? That was some excellent bit of flying, Sirius! Really brilliant!"

"Wait!" he exclaimed, making the captain jump. "You're wrong!"

"Sirius, you did do some brilliant flying out there," she replied. "Just because you didn't catch all ten balls, doesn't mean—"

"No, I mean... I did catch the tenth ball," he interrupted, showing her the now limp ball that was sitting still in his hand.

The crowd when crazy; all the Gryffindors lifted him up and put him on their shoulders, cheering out his name. None of the other kids trying out to be seeker had caught even one ball, and the fact that he caught all ten excited everyone. The cup was theirs for sure this year.

"Congratulations, Sirius!" Eric exclaimed as Sirius read his name on the team list the next morning. "I hear you did excellent; even jumped off your broom at one point!"

"Yeah, well," Sirius replied, looking down at his feet. "My dad taught me that trick over the summer. My mum wasn't too pleased about it, but he taught me how to do it perfectly."

"Well, we're looking forward to having you on the team," Susan cut it. "In all my years at Hogwarts, I haven't seen one seeker do what you did on the field. Brilliant, Potter!"

"Thanks, Susan," he replied. Then he asked, "Do you know who made Slytherin Seeker?"

"Oh, that Malfoy girl," she rolled her eyes. "But she only got on because her brother threatened to hex them all into oblivion if they didn't give her the position. Don't worry," she added, seeing his stunned face, "you'll catch that snitch so fast they'll regret not getting hexed. Trust me."

And with those final words she left, leaving the rest of the Gryffindor Common Room to cheer in excitement, and leaving young Sirius to his thoughts.


	9. Showing Off

**Showing Off**

"Sirius!" called a young blonde haired first year. "Sirius, where are you going?" She was a Ravenclaw, and had followed Sirius almost everywhere since he became Seeker of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Ginny thought it was cute, but Sirius… he thought it made him hot stuff. Harry often laughed at his son's cocky smile; it reminded him of his own father.

"I'm going to practice," he replied, throwing a half-smile her way. "We've got a big game against the Slytherins coming up, and Susan thinks we need the extra boost."

"Not you, Sirius," a Hufflepuff responded, overhearing the conversation and running towards him. "You're bloody amazing!"

"I know, Cherrie," he replied, half-sighing, half-smiling. "But, if my captain believes we need a boost, then I'll practice. It'll be horribly grueling today, too. She's been extra tough on us lately."

"Do you think you can handle it?" another girl asked him, grabbing on to his arm concernedly. "It would be absolutely horrible if we lost our Seeker!"

Sirius waved his hand and laughed. "Of course I can handle it! I'm Sirius Potter, the best Seeker since my father! No one can beat me!"

"Can we watch you practice?" a group of girls asked him hopefully, and he instantly heard the other girls around him whisper excitedly. Sirius could throw a cocky smile their way, but stopped for a moment as if to think it over.

"Yeah," he replied, then turned around to find twenty or so girls behind him, all jumping in excitement. "Come on!" he waved them all forward, and began running outside to the pitch.

It was a beautiful day. The sky above them was crystal clear, and there was a slight breeze in the air, just enough to cool him off when he got hot. When he stepped outside, he placed himself on his broom and took off. The girls who were surrounding him gave a loud gasp of excitement and watched as he stood up dangerously on his broom. This was just one of the many tricks he would do on his amazing broom, and it seemed to strike interest in everybody watching him every time.

With the group of girls running behind him he continued flying to the pitch. When Susan came into sight he jumped off the broom and landed perfectly on the ground. The girls sat over in the stands and cheered for his landing, while Sirius took many bows.

Smiling, he turned around to see the rest of his team glaring at him. His smile grew a little bit as he shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

But Susan was not amused.

"Don't get cocky, Potter," she growled, placing herself on her own broom. "I've seen better Seekers than you lose because of their attitude. Watch yourself."

"Me? Cocky? Susan, come on!" he laughed, waving his hand. "I could never get cocky!"

"Whatever you say, Potter," she replied, then turned her head in the direction of one of the Chasers and said, "let the balls loose!" And so began the practice.

Things were going great. Never had Sirius had a better practice with his team. It did help that, whenever he caught the tiny golden ball, all the girls in the stands shrieked in excitement. Whenever he made a difficult catch he would do one of his many tricks, causing Susan to yell at him to pay attention.

But, when he was making his amazing standing catch, he caught a small amount of green out of the corner of his eye. Looking over quickly, his jaw dropped as his eyes fell on Syringa Malfoy, flying as fast as she could toward the snitch.

The shock of seeing her caused him to jump back in surprise and knock his balance off. Twenty-five feet in the air he fell, and with a sickening crack hit the ground.

"SIRIUS!" Susan screeched, calling everything to a halt and flying quickly down to the ground. "Potter, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"My… arm," he replied warily, his vision blurred by stars. He had landed on his arm and banged his head hard on the ground, and knew that he had gotten a concussion.

Susan looked furious as she stood up and bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. But Sirius wasn't paying any attention to her. He was too busy naming the little white dots that currently filled his vision. And then, with no warning, everything went black.

"Sirius," a voice was whispering to him. Her voice was soft and gentle, and as he opened his eyes he could've sworn that, for one brief second, he had seen blonde hair and black eyes staring down at him. But the sight quickly transformed into a beautiful red haired woman with brown, loving eyes. "Sirius, sweetheart, are you okay?"

"M-mum?" he asked, sitting up, then being pushed back down by his father, who had been standing next to his wife. "Mum, Dad, what are you two doing on the Quidditch Pitch?"

Then a giggle came to him, and he turned around again to see his little sister on his other side. "Sirius, you're so funny! You're not on the Quidditch Pitch! You're in the hospital wing!"

"What?" he asked, suddenly aware of his blinding headache and wrapped up arm. "Why? What happened?"

"You fell off your broom," Harry replied, patting his arm softly. "Got a pretty bad concussion and broke your arm. I have to say, Susan was quite worried about you."

"More like worried her Seeker wouldn't be able to play," he smiled. "I bet she's furious at me."

"No, she's madder at the Slytherin team," Ginny sighed. "Apparently they weren't supposed to be there at all. She had booked the pitch for the afternoon. The Slytherin Seeker came flying up next to you and surprised you enough to knock you off your broom."

"I'm a bit surprised you weren't already knocked off," Harry chuckled. "Every time you caught the snitch the girls in the stands would scream so loud I could hear them in my office. You've got quite a fan club, Son."

Sirius blushed a little bit, causing his little sister to giggle again. He turned in her direction, smiled, and held out his unbroken arm out to embrace her. She accepted the embrace, and smiled warmly at him.

"I haven't had much chance to talk to you yet this year, Sis," he said as she pulled away. "How have you been lately?"

"Good!" she replied. "I've made some great new friends! They go to the school and have let me hang out with them a lot! Oh, and they have a club and are going to show me their secret club meeting place when I join Hogwarts!"

He smiled. "That's great! Do I know any of them?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I don't think so. But they're all really funny, and seem to really like me! Isn't that great?"

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, then turned back around to his mum and dad. "I'll be okay for the game, right?"

"Sirius," Harry laughed. "Madam Pomphrey can mend anything! I'm sure she'll have you out of here in no time."

"But we want you to take it easy when you get out," Ginny said sternly. "No more concussions please, young man. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I promise," he laughed, then gave his mother, father, and sister all hugs. Watching as they walked away he sat up and took a sip of water from the glass that was sitting next to his bed.

While he was taking a sip he couldn't help feeling that it had been more than the shock of a Slytherin coming up behind him that made him fall. And again he remembered her blonde hair flying behind her as she flew past him on her broomstick. The thought made him smile.


	10. Trust Me

**Trust Me**

The weather was getting bitter as the days got further into winter. Hogwarts was covered in five inches of snow, and the wind was so chilly that students could be seen covering up in their cloaks as they ran inside the castle.

This was Sirius's least favorite time of the year. He hated the boredom that came with sitting around inside the castle, and as much as he loved his cousin Harriet, he was sure that if she forced him to play chess with her one more time he'd crack. He just had to find something to do inside.

"Maybe you should clean up your dormitory," Harry suggested as he had tea with his son. "I was in there a few days ago looking for you, and it was a mess. Really, Sirius, is it that hard to pick up after yourself?"

Sirius was just going to take his father's suggestion as a joke, until he went in search of his broomstick servicing kit, and realized that he'd misplaced it. So, with a heavy sigh, he began placing things back in his trunk neatly. That was when he saw it.

An old piece of parchment was found on the floor, and it wasn't until he dusted it off that he realized what it was. Just before he started school last year, his father had given him a map… a map that he had, until just now, forgotten about.

Excitement coursing through him like rain coursing down an umbrella, he opened the parchment, pulled out his want, and whispered the words Harry had taught him just one year ago.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to now good."

In an instant, the map came to life, the words, 'Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present the Marauders Map' forming across the old parchment. A smile appeared across the twelve year old boy's face as he remembered exactly what this map did.

"My map of Hogwarts…," he whispered, peering down at the old parchment. It had been ages since he could think of something to do, other than playing chess with Harriet. And now, with a thought of excitement, he realized that the answer to his boredom was there in his trunk the whole time.

Without another thought he rushed over to the coat hanger and put on his cloak. His father had mentioned something about secret passageways, and he was going to have his very first Hogwarts investigation today.

"Sirius?" Harriet called as her cousin ran past the Common Room couch, his face filled with enthusiasm. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Oh… umm… out," he replied, and without explaining himself fully, he bolted out the portrait hole and down the hall. He knew where he was heading, and that was to the statue of the one-eyed witch, which somehow led into Hogsmeade.

He was getting closer, his feet pounding on the hard surface of the castle floors. It had been so long since he'd had something to do, that he was ready to leap at this opportunity.

But he wasn't expecting….

"Sirius?" a voice called from down the hall, and Sirius turned to see his Aunt Hermione walking towards him, followed by his Uncle Ron and dad. "Sirius, what are you doing down here?"

"Oh… err… I was just getting ready to do some homework," he replied, remembering his dad's warning about not letting him catch him with the map. "Potions exam on Monday, and I want to make sure I'm very well prepared."

"Where are your books?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously. "Don't you need your Potions book to study?"

"I left my book in the library," he answered. "You see, I was getting ready to study when I realized I didn't have enough parchment. I had to go all the way back up to the Common Room to get some more." He then patted his pocket, where the folded up map was sitting, just barely peeking up into sight.

"Oh," she said, then continued her way to wherever she was going. "Well, I'm impressed. Good luck on your exam."

"Thank you, Aunt Hermione," he replied, then watched as she left him alone, dragging his Uncle Ron and dad with her. As his dad walked by him, he couldn't help but notice him wink and smile his way.

'He knows,' Sirius thought, laughing inside at the thought. Then, without waiting for his aunt to turn around and ask him if he needed help, he continued his journey to the one-eyed witch's statue. It took about five minutes, but he finally made it. Now all he had to figure out was how the passageway worked.

It didn't take long to figure it out, however, for the map had the answer for him. Just above the witch's hump was a word that read 'Dissendium'.

"Well," Sirius chuckled, pulling out his wand. "What do you know? Dissendium!" The hump opened immediately to reveal a small passage, just big enough for him to slip through. "My first Hogwarts adventure!"

He should've known it wouldn't be that easy.

"What are you doing, Potter?" a voice asked from behind him, only this time it had a hateful, yet delicate, tone to it. "Shouldn't you be in your Common Room?"

"Shouldn't you?" he asked, using a much kinder tone than she was. "What are you doing down here, anyways?"

"I was taking a walk," she replied, rolling her eyes with disgust. "Now what are you doing? And why is there a hole in the hump?"

"What?" he asked, turning around in surprise, having forgotten all about his previous plans at her appearance. "Oh… I was… fixing it. Some kid blasted it to smithereens, and I was trying to repair the damage."

"Potter, you're a horrible liar," she said, stepping closer to the hump. "What are you really doing?"

Sirius sighed, realizing that he was caught in the act and had no choice but to tell her the truth. He was sure she would tell the headmistresses, but either way she would tell McGonagall, and he would get in trouble. There was no way to win.

"I was going into Hogsmeade," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Someone told me about this secret passageway, and I've decided to use it." Then, on a whim, he asked, "Do you want to come?"

She stumbled back at his final words, but quickly recovered and threw him a hateful glare that sent chills up his spine.

"You can't go to Hogsmeade," she growled, walking away. "It's not a Hogsmeade weekend, and you're only a second year." She really didn't want to deal with him right now… all she wanted to do was find a quiet place to study for her Potions exam.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed sadly, then looked up at her departing figure and asked again, "Do you want to come?" And he watched her freeze in her tracks. For some reason, he had a feeling she was thinking it over.

Finally, she turned around and said, "No, Potter, I do not want to go to Hogsmeade with you." She then continued her way to her quiet place.

"Why?" he asked. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course not!" she replied, turning around again.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a Potter, that's why!" she yells, trying to escape from his petrifying gaze that gave her goosebumps.

"That's not a good enough reason," he said, then asked again, "Do you want to come with me?" And, as he held out his hand for her, said, "Trust me, Syringa."

Eyeing his hand, she stood there, thinking hard about what she wanted to do. She had just had a horrible time in the library, and felt as if she deserved a break. And as the thought of a few minutes ago entered her mind, she was forced back to the conversation with her brother.

"_Syringa, are you even listening to me?" Archimedes asked, his voice filled with frustration as he caught her reading her Potions book._

"_Oh…," she jumped, looking up from her studies into the gray eyes of her brother. "I'm sorry, Archimedes, I was just studying for my exam… what were you saying?"_

_But his anger got the better of him, and he slammed her Potions book shut. She jumped backwards and fell off her chair onto the library floor, getting a glare from Madam Pince as she stood up._

"_Syria," he growled, staring her square in the face. "Don't you want to be great? Don't you want to get revenge on the man who destroyed the Dark Lord? Don't you want the Malfoy family to have fame and fortune again?"_

"_Well, yes, of course, but…."_

"_Then you have to listen to me!" he whispered hatefully, and pushed her back down into the chair, throwing her book back into her bag as he did so. "Now… what I was saying. I'm working on a plan that will be set in motion in your seventh year."_

"_Why my seventh? Why not later this year?"_

"_Because, Syria… the best plan is a perfect plan," he replied simply. "And this plan will not be perfect for a few years. Besides… seventh year means that you will have completed your studies as a witch, and therefore will be ready to fight back."_

"_Understandable," she replied, watching as he paced back and forth. "Err… Archimedes? I'm not feeling too good. I think I'm going to go up to the Common Room for awhile, alright?"_

"_Yes, fine," he waved her away, and she picked up her flowery book-bag and headed to the Astronomy Tower, where she just so happened to run into…._

"Syringa?" Sirius asked, bringing her out of her reverie. She shook herself and looked back at the hand that was outstretched towards her. "Do you want to come?"

Her heart still bubbled with anger at her brother. He said he wanted her to be a great witch, but never gave her any time to practice her studies, so she could become a great witch. It was so frustrating to have such poor grades because someone wouldn't allow you to study. What she needed right now was a break… a place where she wouldn't run into her brother.

Hogsmeade was the perfect place.

"Fine," she replied, and took hold of his hand.

Smiling, he grabbed onto her hand and, together, the two slid down the one-eyed witch's hump and into the village of Hogsmeade.


	11. Separation

**Separation**

"We should be almost there," Sirius said to the girl behind him. "I think I see a ladder up ahead." And he was right. Just up ahead, was a ladder that led up into…

"Honeydukes!" Syringa gasped, looking around at all the amazing sweets that surrounded her. "We're in Honeydukes!"

"This is amazing!" Sirius exclaimed as he glanced around at the Cockroach Clusters and Chocolate Frogs, his two favorite candies, lining the walls. "I was here once when I was little, but I don't remember it being like this." He then turned towards Syringa and said, "So, what do you want to do?"

Syringa's absolute amazement at their current location quickly faded away as the answer to Sirius's question drifted into her head. "Listen, Potter. I'm going to go to the Quidditch Supply Shop, then I'm going to do whatever it is I want to do. Therefore I will not be doing anything with you. Do you understand me?"

Sirius frowned. "Perfectly, thanks. Well, I hope you have fun. Maybe I'll see you around the village this afternoon?"

But she was already on her way out of the shop. He was in shock at the days events. Somehow he'd managed to get Syringa Malfoy, the most beautiful girl in all of Hogwarts, to come with him to Hogsmeade. Now if he could just get her to stay with him, things would be perfect.

After looking around the shop for a bit longer, he walked outside and headed down the road to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, where his Uncles Fred and George worked. For years he'd gotten free merchandise from them, mainly because his father had given them the money they had needed to start the business, and partly because they liked him.

He opened the door of the shop to hear a little bell ring, notifying his uncles that a customer had just entered, and they were about to make some money. Or so they thought.

It only took a moment for a red head to come peeking out from behind a supply shelf, and at the sight of the young Potter boy he smiled.

"Fred!" George called from the back of the room. "Fred, come here! We've got company!" A few moments later the other red haired sibling came running out of the back room, carrying four boxes of Skiving Snackboxes.

"Well, hello there, Sirius," Fred panted. "What are you doing here? Aren't you only in the second year? How did you get here?"

"My dad told me I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," Sirius replied, and picked up a box of special quality trick wands. "How much?" he asked.

"For you," George smiled, "on the house. And come on, we are very curious on how you got out of the castle without getting spotted."

"Are you mental?" Fred smacked his brother upside the head. "You know how he got here! He used the map!"

"How did you know about the map?" Sirius asked, head snapping up towards his uncle Fred in shock.

"We gave your dad the map when he was in the third year," George laughed. "We nicked it from Filch in our early years at Hogwarts. How else would he get it?"

"He told me that my grandfather made the map!" Sirius exclaimed, a little angry at his father for lying to him. "He said that Granddad James made it when he was at school."

"He did," Fred replied. "James Potter was Prongs. The man you were named after, Sirius, was Padfoot. Moony was Remus Lupin, a friend of the family's. And Wormtail was…."

"Was nothing you should worry about," George interrupted. "His name was Peter, and he's gone now. Died the year your father took care of…."

"George!" Fred bellowed, throwing his brother a look that clearly meant 'shut up'. "It's not our place to bring that subject up."

"I already know," Sirius frowned, and glanced down at his feet. "My father told Lily and I last year. How he killed a man named Voldemort, and all that. It feels weird, though. I mean, my dad killed someone."

"Your father is a great man for it, too," Fred smiled. "You don't know what it was like living in that age. People were afraid to speak the name of Voldemort, were afraid to stop him. He killed so many people, ruined so many lives. When Harry killed him it was like Independence Day. We were free again."

"Was it really like that?" Sirius asked, eyes wide. His dad didn't tell him about all that.

"It was worse," George sighed. "Voldemort killed your grandparents, a good friend of your dad's, Sirius Black, and Albus Dumbledore, to name a few."

"Harry told us all that he thought Voldemort killed your mother at one point," Fred continued. "He said that at that moment he was about ready to give up the fight. But apparently Ginny was way above him, studying for her final exams."

"Wow," Sirius whispered. "My dad really saved the world? I mean… that's what it sounds like to me."

"Yeah," George replied. "He really saved the world. Now enough about all this; it's the past, and a depressing past at that. Shop around. Whatever you want you get for free."

"Thanks, you guys!" Sirius exclaimed, and began searching the shop. A box of Skiving Snackboxes, Ton-Tongue Toffees, Special Quality Trick Wands, and Canary Creams later, he was out the door, waving goodbye to his two uncles. Since it was such a cold day he decided he'd head on over to the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeers.

Syringa had just finished buying a Broomstick Servicing kit when a man walked over to her, a stupid smile on his chubby face. She wasn't too sure who he was, but she knew that he was a friend of her father's.

"Syringa Malfoy," the man said, holding out a thick hand for her to shake. "It's been so long. I'm Gregory Goyle, a friend of your fathers. How has he been?"

"He's been alright," she replied, placing a friendly smile on her face. "He's actually trying to get a job with the Ministry, but his record being so unclean, they refuse to hire him. But he sends my brother and me letters all the time."

"Draco has high hopes for you," he stated, his eyes sparkling. "He says that you and Archimedes will be the ones to bring power back to the Dark Side."

"Yes," she responded. "We plan on seeking revenge on Harry Potter for ruining the world that could've been, and bringing about the New Order."

"I'm looking forward to it, Miss Malfoy," he smiled, then looked at his watch and said, "Well, I best be off. Give your father my best wishes."

"I will, sir," she said, and watched as he waddled off down the street and disapparated. She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and turned around to go to the Three Broomsticks. After a long day of Quidditch shopping she could use something to eat.

Five minutes later and she was sitting nice and warm in the little pub, eyeing her new kit and pondering over what she should eat. She was surprised when Madam Rosmerta set a bottle of warm butterbeer down on her table.

"Where did this come from?" she asked, pulling the drink towards her with a smile.

Madam Rosmerta pointed behind her at a small table, where a boy with messy black hair, brown eyes, and glasses sat smiling at her. Her smile, however, instantly faded as she gathered her things and walked over to his table.

"What do you want, Potter?" she asked grumpily, slamming the bottle of butterbeer down on the table. He didn't even jump.

"I just wanted to buy you a drink," he replied with a small smirk. "Is that such a crime? Buying a friend a drink?"

"We're NOT friends!" she bellowed, eyes blazing with anger. "We've never been friends! How many times do I have to tell you? Why are you always so nice to me?"

"Do you want an honest answer?" he asked, a hint of red in his cheeks.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want an honest answer," she replied, rolling her eyes at him. "Now tell me!"

"I like you," he whispered. "I like you, and I really want to get to know you. Why is that such a problem?"

She was taken aback by his bluntness, but didn't let it affect her in the slightest. "Potter, I'm a Malfoy. Your father hates my whole family, as does your mother and the rest of your family. We, in turn, do not like any of you. That's why you can't get to know me. Because Potter's don't like Malfoy's."

"That statement can be proven false," he smiled, looking deep into her black eyes. "It was the first time I saw you the on train."

She could feel the blush rising in her cheeks, and tried to hide it from him. "Well, Potter, you'd better learn to hate me, because I can guarantee the rest of your family does." And with that, she took her things, and left him along, feeling very depressed and confused.


End file.
